Agents who represent writer illustrators.

No idea about the agents I'm afraid, but I think your books look great - the illustrations on Million Dollar Santa especially!

Here's a thread on a similar topic that, Patrick, that you really should read through: http://absolutewrite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=34843

As for agents who rep illustrators, go to www.agentquery.com and type in "illustrator" into the search box.

And believe me, agents either rep a writer OR an illustrator. Unless maybe if you're already big name in the industry.

well, two people from this forum have told me that picture books don't usually need an agent.


So perhaps another question to be asking is: what publishing houses take author/illustrator in one?

Best wishes

At the SCBWI conference in New York, many of the editors preferred to work with author/illustrators than just authors (at least for PB's). Many of the big houses aren't giving authors any consideration at all. A picture is worth a thousand words, and afterall, it is a picturebook.

Perhaps it means there are three different things.

If a writer is a writer, not an experienced or trained illustrator, then they submit stories. The publisher then matches them to an illustrator.

If an artist is an artist, then they submit work samples and are matched to a story.

If a person has the ability to work professionally in both fields, then editors prefer to see the complete product, and it may be more efficient and therefore more cost-effective for them to work with people who are multi-talented. Less time waiting for the illustrator to be available to work on the author's story.

My advice would be to find out as much as you can about each agency or publisher you are considering, and send them whatever it is they ask to see.

I would also recommend, if I haven't already, that you join SCBWI. They are the primary resource for all information regarding picture books, and you will certainly find others who have the experience necessary to answer your questions.

JudScotKev said:

Perhaps it means there are three different things.

If a writer is a writer, not an experienced or trained illustrator, then they submit stories. The publisher then matches them to an illustrator.

If an artist is an artist, then they submit work samples and are matched to a story.

If a person has the ability to work professionally in both fields, then editors prefer to see the complete product, and it may be more efficient and therefore more cost-effective for them to work with people who are multi-talented. Less time waiting for the illustrator to be available to work on the author's story.

My advice would be to find out as much as you can about each agency or publisher you are considering, and send them whatever it is they ask to see.

I would also recommend, if I haven't already, that you join SCBWI. They are the primary resource for all information regarding picture books, and you will certainly find others who have the experience necessary to answer your questions.

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JSK, I think you've nailed it. Certainly, whatever works is the way to go, always pushing forward toward success.

stormie said:

As for agents who rep illustrators, go to www.agentquery.com and type in "illustrator" into the search box.

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After going here and punching in writer/illustrator and coming up empty, I then tried just writer and was given a long list of agents. I found it interesting that some of the agents made clear their request for formal snail-mail queries, while some stated no unsolicited queries of any kind. I couldn't help wondering who or how anyone reached these agents.I'm guessing these are well established agents who deal only with certain writers and those they might bring to them? At any rate, if one looked to be the 'one', I'd go about contacting that one in whatever way they asked, just as you do publishers.

You need to realize that you do not need an agent for PB's. David Sabuda probably has an agent, but that's because he's huge and needs one to negotiate his contracts. He probably didn't have one when he got started. Send your PB's straight to the publisher. You can send it with or without illustrations. There's no right or wrong way to do it (unless you only do the writing and you try drawing chicken-scratched stickfigures). If you think you can do it all, then go for it. But you should also be sending in postcards of your work, a different piece and feel - maybe once a month, or so. It will be easier to get your first gig by doing illustrations. That can lead to showing your other books.

And you're not going down a different route that no other writer/illustrator has ever tried. They're constantly bombarded with PB's by writer/illustrators. Yours just has to stand out, and the quality has to compete with the best writer/illustrators on the market. If you feel that you can do better with your own writing/illustrating, then do it. The worst that can happen is they'll pass.

PennStater said:

You need to realize that you do not need an agent for PB's. David Sabuda probably has an agent, but that's because he's huge and needs one to negotiate his contracts. .... Send your PB's straight to the publisher. .... It will be easier to get your first gig by doing illustrations. That can lead to showing your other books.

And you're not going down a different route that no other writer/illustrator has ever tried. They're constantly bombarded with PB's by writer/illustrators. Yours just has to stand out, and the quality has to compete with the best writer/illustrators on the market. If you feel that you can do better with your own writing/illustrating, then do it. The worst that can happen is they'll pass.

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Yes.

Patrick, just do what you feel is best at this point. I do know the PB industry--my good friend illustrates PBs for Houghton-Mifflin, S&S, etc, and has done if for fifteen years. She got an agent through her illustrations alone. Now she can write and illustrate a PB to submit to publishers since she knows the publishers and they know her work.

One other thing--Ronnie Hermann, Pippin Agency, and Chris Teague (?) are agents who do rep children's illustrators.

Again, if you feel you want to give it a go your way, then do it.

PennStater said:

They're constantly bombarded with PB's by writer/illustrators. Yours just has to stand out, and the quality has to compete with the best writer/illustrators on the market.

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Like everything else in our overcrowded modern world, it's a competitive field. You can't be as good as someone already out there; you have to be better. Fresher, different, original.

That's where SCBWI can help, because they have workshops where illustrators can submit portfolios and get useful critiques.

JudScotKev said:

That's where SCBWI can help, because they have workshops where illustrators can submit portfolios and get useful critiques.

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Agreed. SCBWI conferences have been invaluable to me in letting me know if my work (in my case, a novel manuscript) will be competitive in the market. At every conference I've been to, there've been plenty of resources for illustrators, as well. Portfolio contests, informal critiques from other illustrators, and formal portfolio reviews from top art directors in the industry. Even if you don't want to join the organization, it's worth seeing if there's a conference in your area sometime soon. You can still attend without being a member.

Patrick stated in another thread that the cost of joining SCBWI is too much. Conferences might be prohibitive too. A solution is to go to a large library and read as much as you can on writing for children. And to read as many PBs as possible. The 2009 Children's Writer and Illustrator Market isn't too much money, and has a wealth of info.

First a writer and/or illustrator needs to know the rules before trying to alter them.

I don't want to sound negative but honestly, unless you've established yourself in the field as a writer or as an illustrator, it is going to be hard to sell yourself as a writer/illustrator package as an unknown entity. The other thing is you are giving yourself twice as much chance of striking out. The editor might love the story but not be too keen on the illustrations or love the illustrations but find the writing lacking. If you are selling the package - it's over for the book.

I followed the link you attached and had a look at Million Dollar Santa. It was pretty good and the illustrations were ok but there are some consistancy and design problems. For one, Frederick looks different from page to page and his relative height against Santa also changes. You have text covering parts of the illustration detail and black text over dark blue windows which makes it difficult to read. The other design elliment is that the book doesn't conform to the usuall 32 page format for picture books (that alone would kill it for a publisher) Yours is 44 pages. The 32 page format is basically for printing purposes. the number of pages must be divisible by eight or there is too much paper wastage.

I don't want to discourage you but it is competative out there. I have attached a link to the Picture Book Artist's web page so you can take a look at the quality of illustrations you are competing against.

http://www.picturebookartists.org/pages/Cc-Gg.html

I know you are set of this path and I honestly wish you the best but I thinks it will be a hard slog.

Good luck


Jeff

Patrick, That sounds great and I'd love to see some of your more recent illustrations.

I agree with your comment "I believe a good idea, well researched and executed will compete."

Jeff

You can look on www.litmatch.net
It's free to sign up. Plus they have an advanced search so you can see what agents represent what. You can even search for things like what agents are currently accepting queries and if they accept email queries.